Oli Lipski
Just over a year after same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia (that happened back in December 2017), Yess app launched to make it easy for people to find businesses that are LGBTQIA-friendly.
Yess, short for yes–services, is free to download on Android and iOS, and currently has 74 Australian suppliers listed – covering wedding planners, home decorators, counsellors and even a dog spa.
While for now the app only covers parts of Australia, founder Jill Burgess told SEXTECHGUIDE that the company hopes to expand beyond borders in the future. Where other directory-like services focus on providing huge amounts of choice (ie. businesses signed-up), Yess only allows up to three businesses in the same category to register per postcode.
We’re helping businesses show their love for providing services to people of all walks of life with no prejudice.
Jill Burgess, founder, Yess.
The app came about when Burgess discovered that organizing weddings can still be a difficult process for the LGBTQIA community, who suffer discrimination and abuse despite the law. Nonetheless, Burgess found that there are all kinds of services out there (included straight ones) who want to show their support.
Yess is free to download and use, but businesses pay a set fee for each customer enquiry that comes via the app. The price of the enquiry fee is set according to the category and service, with caterer enquiries costing AU$10 and personal trainers AU$3.
On the user side, there’s a simple directory interface, in which you can create and manage your own event, using the instant messaging feature to add other planners and source whatever services you need.
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